Otto meyer



UNITED STATES oTTo MEYER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

f w I 9 r PATENT OFFICE. 7.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING SURPRISE PICTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,047, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed February 19, 1891.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, OTTO MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have Y invented new and useful Improvements in on the paper or other material with a colorless liquid or substance, or practically colorless, so that the lines drawn with it are practically invisible, and then developing them by applying thereto another liquid or'substan'ce by means of which the lines are made Visible to the eye. It relates also to the pro- ;duction of changes of color in paper or other materials by substantially'the same means.

In carrying out my invention I dissolve phenplphtalein inalcohol, and with this solution draw witlTa small. brush-a figure on paper, which figure becomes invisible. as soon ,2 5 as the alcohol has evaporated. I then bring a solution of caustic potashinto an atomizer,

= and by directing the sprayfrom the atomizer on the invisible figure it will suddenly be developed in red color.

0 For the purpose of printing I prepare a paste containing phenolphtalein by means of starch or other suitable material; but the starch or I other material must of course not contain any alkali, as some commercial starch does. In-

1' 5 stead of using phenolphtaleinl can take co- 1 roline or any other of the substances which are used in chemistry as indicators fori the alkaline reactiom For the development of the figures any alkali or substance of alkaline reaction like soda or ammonia may be used, and instead ofan atomizer any other suitable means of dia-rubber ball connected with a tube and The solution of phef 0 nolphtaleiu in alcohol may be of variable Serial No. 382,101. (No specimens.) 7

development may be used. For instance, the paper which has been marked ortreated with the phenol htalaip or equivalent solution may 5 be pressed upon another paper which is sat V urated with alkali and somewhat moistened.

If ammonia istaken as the alkali to be used, the developed figures will fade away at the rate at which the ammonia evaporates. Ammonia may be used also in its gaseous form and without the aid of an atomizer. ures will, for instance, appear if the paper to be treated is placed into a bottle which con Q, mills ponge or filtering-paper moistened with ammonia, or if it is placed into a glass case or bottle into whiclrsome ammoniagas;

is forced. I take, for instance, a hollow inintroduce a small quantity of. concentrated 7o ammonia into the ball. If I place the tube into the mouth of a bottle which contains some white paper which has been marked with the said solution of phenolphtalein or coroline, or other equivalent material, and '75 press the ball, a certain quantity of ammoniagas will be forced into thebottle and will develop on the saidpaper the figures marked thereon with said solution. 1 In the same manner as I develop invisible 8o figures or words on paper or other substances so treated with the phenolphtalein or coroline j' solution I can produce a change of color of artificial flowers, or leaves, or other articles. I take, for instance, a white paper rose,saturated with a solution of'plienolphtalein or coroline, and having put it'into a bottle I r- '1 force some ammopia-gas into the bottle and I thereby the color of the rose becomes red..

When the ammonia has evaporated, the rose becomes white again.

The paper or material to which the phenol-. phtalein or its equivalents is applied must be" clean and free from alkalies when the said solution is applied to it.

The order igyhich the solutionsgap y pliedTsndt inaterial iwpmcaenfg my invenplied and used in delineating or marking the paper or other material, and afterward the .10 other solution can be used. I The lines and pictures after they are de veloped and made visible can be made invisible again by applying to them an acid.

I am aware that a solution of platina magthe same to the reaction of an alkali to develop nesium cyanide has been combined with a the lines, words, or figures, substantially as medium such as g'elatine, shellac, or cum described.

and applied to the ob'gect, which 1s subse- 2. The process of producingorchangingthe 5 "'gnently fleyeloped by breathing or blowing" color of artificial flowers or other articles, thereupon as in En lish Patent No. (Lmot' which consists in saturating the same with 1 b/; but such does not constitute my iuvenphenolphtalein,coroline, or other indicator of tion. alkaline reaction, and then applying thereto What I claim as new, and desire to secure an alkali, substantially as described. 7 ID by Letters Patent, is In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1. The process for producing lines, words, my hand in the presence of two subscribing and figures on paper or any othersuitable witnesses.

material, which consists in drawing, writing, OTTO MEYER.

or printing them with solutions of phenolph- Witnesses:

15 talein,coroline, or any other indicator-of al- J. VAN SANTVOORD,

kaline reaction, and subsequently subjecting E. F.. KASTENHUBER. 

